SHARK!

I was, to be perfectly honest, completely freaking out. I couldn't quite put my finger on it really and as much as I made jokes about being gobbled up limb by limb I wasn't really finding it all that funny. The two and a half-hour boat trip out to the Neptune Islands gave my brain plenty of time to do some thought backflips and I jumped from being thrilled to scared to happy to anxious to wanting to vomit.

I managed to keep my breakfast down though, unlike most people on the boat. The long ride from Port Lincoln, on the Eyre Peninsula, to the islands is really choppy and when you're that nervous it's worse. Once the cage goes in and you're given the safety brief, that's when the gravity of what you're about to do really sinks in.

As I slowly climbed down into the cage, I realised my fear actually had nothing to do with the feared Great White Shark, rather it was the ocean itself I was afraid of. I never used to be scared, and when I was a teenager I would have been the first to get in that cage, but lately a switch has gone off in my head and I've been finding myself feeling frightened of things I never used to be afraid of, like heights and open water. Maybe it's just part of being a responsible adult, maybe it happens when you stop pushing yourself, I don't know. Yet hopping into that water brought me face to face with that fear.

The first dive I just had to focus on being in the water, using my regulator properly, and calmly breathing in and out. Eventually it got easier. However, after a while I had had enough and had to get out. We hadn't seen a shark yet. After a hot coffee and a breather I psyched myself up to get back in, but I told myself it would be the last time, and if I didn't see the shark, so be it. I stayed under for a good 45 minutes, until my face went blue, my ears hurt from the pressure and I had a heache. I was so determined to see that bloody shark! Eventually though, I had to get out. I was freezing!

Of course, as soon as the next group of divers got in the cage, the shark came, Stuff it, I thought, I'm getting back in! And it was so, so worth it.

These amazing creatures really command our respect. They are so calm and graceful; even though I was struggling with the dive they made me feel peaceful. They have such a gruesome reputation but to see them up close was just the most awe-inspiring experience. We saw two sharks a male and a female from what I could see, both about 4-5 metres long. The male even had a bunch of fish swimming along with him! He also had a few scars.

We were so grateful to be able to see the sharks in their natural surroundings, doing what they would normally do without us there. It was really important for us to be able to see them in the wild without upsetting them, as they deserve our respect. Adventure Bay Charters in Port Lincoln really looked after us and the sharks, and we couldn't have had a better day.

wedding bells

A while ago, I wrote that I was planning on taking Boyfriend to Fiji sometime. Well, there have been some developments since then!

Firstly, I am very happy to announce that Boyfriend is Boyfriend no longer... He is Fiancé! As much as I should stay calm about it, I have to admit I'm at a pinch-myself-is-this-real level of excited right now, particularly for the next bit...

We're getting married in Fiji! We wanted something relatively low-key that gave us an opportunity to be "us" and Fiji is perfect. Our little white chapel on the beach also gives us the perfect compromise between the church wedding I want and the beach wedding Fiancé wants.

Planning it is sometimes hard, confusing, frustrating and all the rest... All I want is to stand in front of the people who matter most to me and tell everyone how much I love him, and for them to be there with us as we promise our lives to each other. I don't care about the details!

I know it will be magic, and the countdown is on. I can't wait!

here it is - where we will be getting married!

how flygirl got her groove back

Fiji is a popular destination for my clients. Whether it be a honeymoon, quick getaway, quality time with the kids or cruise stop, it usually gets rave reviews. It is also a popular destination for backpackers.

Occasionally, however, if I happen to suggest it to a client I may get a reaction such as "BORING!", "but there's nothing to do there" or "but it has no real culture" etc... I have also, on many occasions, caught my colleagues referring to Fiji as a 'flop and drop' kind of destination (see my feelings on this term here) and reinforcing these myths that really couldn't be further from the truth.

Every country has culture and Fiji is no exception - it just isn't what we busy westerners think of when we consider what may define one. I believe that this magnificent country and it's beautiful people deserve to be known for more than just pretty stretches of sand.

My love of Fiji goes back to my 21st birthday. I had had a rough year: two close family members passed away in an accident, I broke up with my boyfriend of four years, and some strong friendships ended. It was pretty tough. For my birthday, my parents gave me a whole bunch of money (oversized novelty cheque to boot!) to go away. I was thinking Egypt but my parents laid down some conditions: it had to be a "real holiday". Read: sun, beaches and boys. Fiji it was.

I ended up at Beachcomber Island (above), and then Octopus Resort on Waya Island. Sure, I partied - a lot - but then I settled into the island life routine. The true magic of this place lies in the resounding "bula!" you get everytime you walk past someone - like everyone is truly happy to see you, like it's a big deal you're there - and the way everyone makes you feel like you're just meant to be there. They don't 'dumb down' their way of life for you, instead they show you how to embrace it and in turn, they embrace you.

I have since been lucky enough to go back to Fiji for work, and I plan to take Boyfriend sometime soon. I will also one day take my children as it's a place little ones can learn a lot from - they can explore, relax, and learn about the world in a vibrant, friendly and safe setting.

flygirl's top experiences:

• The Nadi Faces and Places tour. It includes the Hindu Temple, a local vllage and a delicious lunch.
• Island hopping: if you're staying on the mainland (Viti Levu), head out to South Sea or Beachcomber Island for a day.
• A Sunday church service - Fiji Style: even if you're not religious, it really is awe-inspiring.
• A river and waterfall tour: there are several variations but it's a great way to see the interior of the country rather than just the beaches.

flygirl's top places to stay:

• Denarau: Sofitel, Radisson (this one's for the kids)
• Mamanucas: Beachcomber, South Sea, Mana, Liku Liku
• Yasawas: Manta Ray, Octopus, Viwa
• Coral Coast: Mango Bay (a 'flashpackers'!), Outrigger, Shangri-La, Warwick or Intercontinental

In the words of a song played on the ferry to Beachcomber: "Where the girls are easy and the boys are hard to get - that's the Fiji Island way!" (Disclaimer: I saw none of that.)

                              

Local church, Viti Levu

Local village, Viti Levu

Fun on Beachcomber Island

R-E-L-A-X

There’s a term commonly used in my industry: the “flop-and-drop” holiday. This is generally a holiday, or even an entire destination, where there’s not a lot going on and the idea is to relax, have a mai-tai and swim in the resort pool. It’s not a term I particularly like because I think it gives people who may not know much about a destination an excuse to pigeon-hole places and thus give “informed” recommendations, but by the same token I can understand why a term like this may be used.

Conversely, I find this term can be used by those who feel the package holiday is beneath them (you know the ones, the I’m-so-cool-I-can-do-it-all-by-myself backpacker types who make snide remarks about package holiday-makers) and if used in this way it can shame the less ‘adventurous’ into feeling like they’ve made the wrong decision.

The thing is, there’s a time and a place for everything. I make jokes about how I’ve sold out because I’m more of a package tourist now, but there’s a reason why I travel differently these days to when I was nineteen. For one, I grew up. That doesn’t mean all backpackers are immature gap-year kids, but what it does mean is that I have a career, I’m time poor, and when I’m away I want to spend the least amount of time possible trying to get organised. I’m also happy to pay more for the experience. I also like organised tours, because it means I’m motivated to get up off my arse every day and I know I’ll come back with all sorts of stories. It’s also likely I’ll meet some nice people on the way through.

So, this being said, my next few posts are going to be about some destinations a few people are quick to dismiss as “boring flop-and-drop holidays”, and why I think everyone should give them a chance. 

young, dumb and on the run

A few years ago, I hit a point where I had no idea what the hell I was doing. I was too young to really know how to fix the problem, although wisdom is a very subjective thing so even though I would do things differently now, in ten years I will think I was a dumbass back in 2012.

Anyway, I decided the solution was to run away.

Not ‘run away’ in the ten-year-old sense where you run away from home and hide out in the park until dinner time when your mum comes and picks you up, but in the sense that the idea of staying put was so overwhelming, so awful and so depressing that if I didn’t leave I would scream, tear my hair out, and probably die (or some other example of the histrionics nineteen-year-olds are prone to).

Off I went to Europe. Looking back, I like to picture it as something akin to the movie Euro Trip, with Amsterdam hash cookies, pervy Italian men on trains who say “mescuzzi” in sultry tones, and accidentally ending up in Bratislava. It wasn’t like that though. Yes, I learned how to drink beer, took up smoking like all the sophisticated European girls do, and salsa-danced with a bunch of soldiers in a nightclub in Budapest, but it was more a journey of growth than a “can’t-remember-half-of-it Contiki tour” (not that I am opposed to these in ANY way).  There were tears for sure and I learned some pretty hard lessons about people, but I also learned about my own strength which had, until that point, eluded me somewhat. I did things I would never have done before that, I went out on my own and made things work, I made friends and I lost friends, and I stood up for myself when I needed to. I guess it was my own personal form of rebellion.

As with all my travel so far, I learned a lot about myself. Seeing other cultures in action often gives you a reference point for your own life and I think travel gives you the opportunity to develop as a person. It is rare that I would go somewhere without having this in mind.

I don’t run anymore. Not everything in life is peachy but I have it pretty good now. And I know that most things can be fixed one way or another with the three Hs: Hard work, Humility and Humour.

By the way I don’t smoke any more – it was a short lived phase. Health over cool factor and whatnot. I do, however, enjoy a nice beer… But the only bloke I would salsa with is Boyfriend (and that is a big ask!)

catacombs, paris... chillin' with the dead

grandma's monkey business

We sat on the bus and thought about our trip so far.

“Are we boring?” Boyfriend asked me. I tried to answer diplomatically but the truth was… yes. We were both giant sticks-in-the-mud. We were two unimpressed old biddies out to see the world then criticise it. We had already had an altercation with a tour guide, complained about our local representative and lectured people about respecting important sites (namely, the ANZAC grave at River Kwai).

The day’s tour guide offered us the opportunity to get out and see a monkey show and, of course, we scoffed. Monkeys should only be in the wild; exploitation; can’t encourage this behaviour; yada yada yada. We weren’t paying for that!

Then came the dreaded question. “Honey, are we boring?” We compared ourselves to some of our friends. Would our friends see the monkey show? Yes. Did our friends usually seem to have a lot more fun than we did? Yes. So it was settled… We would see the damn monkey show.

We tried to enjoy it, we really did. We even had our photos taken with one of them. But we just couldn’t hack it and raced out of there as soon as it was over.

Outside, one of the girls on the tour asked if we’d been to see it and when we replied the affirmative and gave her our wrap up she said, “Yeah, I didn’t go. I don’t want to encourage that sort of behaviour.” We were put in our place!

So 400 Baht down, 30 minutes later we realised we might as well get back in the mud, because that’s where we belong.

a fun but terrible person

the getaway plan

We’d been counting down for months. We made lists. We made plans. We made more lists. What were we going to do? Where were we going to go? What were we going to buy? We were two more farangs in Bangkok and we were going to let loose.

Bangkok got us.

We’d had such a crazy month, working so hard and then both quitting our jobs (!) just before we left. We were so exhausted and stressed out - we just needed a holiday. And although we weren’t out and about every five seconds, I think this holiday was just what we needed.

The highlights:

•   Bai Pai Cooking School in Bangkok. It’s an absolute must! We were taught by Chef Noi, a contender on Iron Chef Thailand (for realz!) and her stunning assistant Darin. Best moment: When we took a picture of Chef Noi and she declared “I’m a movie star!” before Darin’s comeback: “yeah, as a stand-in for Chewbacca!”
•  The Floating Markets. The actual boat ride TO the markets is my actual highlight, but I had a great experience throughout. The fried banana chips are a real treat, and only 20Baht for a whole bag.
•  Paying our respects to the ANZACs who died as POWs building the Burma Railway. The gardens they rest in are beautiful, too.  
•        Hua Hin. We stayed at the Anantara Resort and Spa and it was such a lovely way to finish our holiday. Four nights wasn’t enough; I could have chilled out there for a month.

The low-lights:

•         A couple of rude and dishonest tour guides/reps really let the team down. We are always told that Thailand is the Land of Smiles but maybe not for all! However, we were determined not to let them ruin our day and, funnily enough, once I told them what I do for a living they were nice as pie.
•         The local kids on field trip running around and yelling in the cemetery, although I do understand that they have very different traditions when it comes to honouring the dead so they probably just thought it was a nice garden.

The neither-here-nor-there-lights:

•   The Tiger Temple. Yes, the concept is cool, but once I had a good photo I didn’t need to take a million more. The whole idea of donating to take pictures didn’t really gel with me either; I would rather just have given them a donation because I wanted to support their work. The tour guide didn’t like this much.

Fly Girl Tip: do what you want to do. Bankgok’s a big place so take each second as it comes!

houses on the River Kwai, Kanchanaburi